Lost and found: Have a little faith in John Hiatt

In 1985, John Hiatt hit rock bottom. His music sales were in the toilet, he was an alcoholic and his wife and mother of his one-year old daughter committed suicide. By 1987, Hiatt cleaned up his act, found love again and in four days recorded and released the comeback album Bring the Family.

The songs on the album continue to live on in movies and cover versions. Bonnie Riatt scored a big hit remaking Thing Called Love. Alone in the Dark is the background song for Jamie Lee Curtis’ big striptease in True Lies. Hootie and the Blowfish’s album title of Cracked Rear View is borrowed from a line in Learning How To Love You. However, the most familiar song is Have a Little Faith In Me, which has been covered countless times and is included in at least eleven movies and TV episodes according to IMDB, including prominent moments in Benny & Joon and Phenomenon.

His latest album includes a storyteller song called Wood Chipper, which is about a fatal misunderstanding of a note tucked in the pocket of the object of desire. At the end of the song, the contents of the mysterious note are revealed only to find that instead of a letter of crime and passion, the note is a grocery list with several items including – wait for it – Funyuns. Dare I say classic?

About this blog

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times correspondent Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to big hair.